For the Red Sox heading into the MLB trade deadline, there was little indication that the guy they hoped to come away with as their lone starting-pitcher acquisition was Dustin May, the former Dodgers prospect who was the youngest Opening Day starter in nearly 40 years back in 2020. May has done done little of note since, other than undergo Tommy John surgery in 2021, and have a second Tommy John surgery two years later.
May made his MLB debut in 2019 and in six seasons after that, he made only 34 starts and pitched 191.2 innings. Again: in six years.
The move is reminiscent of last season, when the Red Sox took a pitcher off the Dodgers’ hands at the deadline, James Paxton. Ultimately, Paxton made two starts for Boston, then injured his calf in the first inning of his third start and has not pitched in the big leagues since.
Dustin May Posting a 4.85 ERA
Here’s hoping things go better for May.
Thus far, 2025 has been May’s first healthy full season, and the results have been less than stellar. May is 6-7 on the season with a 4.85 ERA, and a 1.34 WHIP. Even for a Dodgers team that underwent a string of disappointing injuries this season, May’s season was disappointing enough that the team gladly let him go.
Complain as they might, Red Sox fans will simply have to get accustomed to the fact that May is the only starting prize Craig Breslow could come up with this week. So, there’s little choice but to hope he can catch a hot streak–and figure out when that hot streak might begin.
Mark it down: May should debut for the Red Sox on Wednesday against Kansas City.
Red Sox Keep Lucas Giolito on Sunday
Originally, May was penciled in as the Sunday afternoon starter in the series finale against the Astros, but the team backtracked on that and instead decided to hold off on May because the Red Sox did not want to disrupt the rhythm of Sunday’s scheduled pitcher, Lucas Giolito.
“Dustin May’s Red Sox debut will be Wednesday against the Royals, Alex Cora said. They pushed him back from the originally scheduled Sunday because it would have meant too many days off for Lucas Giolito,” Tim Healey of the Globe posted on Bluesky. “Garrett Crochet will pitch Tuesday, Alex Cora said. (And Brayan Bello on Monday.)”
Red Sox Hoping May, Criswell Add Depth
May’s recipe for success is pretty obvious, if he can stick to it: Don’t walk batters. May gives up 3.7 walks per nine innings, among the worst starters in baseball. When he gives up two or fewer walks, which he has done 10 times this year, his ERA is 4.01. When he gives up three walks, that number balloons to 5.91.
Still, the Red Sox desperately need May to work out. The team will finish the year without three expected rotation members–Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Hunter Dobbins–and don’t appear to have much faith in depth pieces Kyle Harrison and Richard Fitts.
Some good news, though: Cooper Criswell was brilliant in Boston’s walk-off win over the Astros on Friday, going 7.0 innings and allowing just one run on seven hits in the 2-1 victory.
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